A long time ago lived a King and Queen in a majestic castle amidst an enchanting forest. The Queen gave birth to a baby girl. All of the fairies in the kingdom were invited to the christening.
With all of the hustle and bustle, one of the fairies did not receive an invitation. She was angry and decided to attend the christening anyway. When it came her turn to stand by the baby princess laying in her small cradle, the fairy cast an evil spell over her. "When you are sixteen, you will injure yourself with a spindle and die!"
"Oh no," cried out the Queen in horror. The Queen called for her most faithful and loyal fairy to take away the curse. The fairy told her that she could not do that but "I can change the curse," she answered. The good fairy quickly changed the curse saying, "When you prick your finger on the spindle, you will fall into a deep sleep."
As the years went by Sleeping Beauty become more and more lovely. Her beauty was beyond compare. She was also kind and gentle. The Queen had been careful to have all spindles kept from Sleeping Beauty. When Sleeping Beauty turned sixteen, she found some winding stairs and walked up them until reaching a door at the door. She opened the door and saw a woman spinning on a spindle. It was the evil fairy in disguise trying entrap Sleeping Beauty. In curiosity Sleeping Beauty put her finger on the tip of the needle and immediately fell to the ground in deep slumber.
Everyone in the kingdom was disheartened by the tragic event. Sleeping Beauty was laid on a bed and lay in a deep, peaceful slumber. The Queen asked the good fairy, "When shall my daughter awaken?" "I do not know, dear Queen?" "It could be a week, a month or years." The only thing that could awaken Sleeping Beauty would be a man with a good, pure heart to fall in love with her. When the Queen heard this she became distraught. How could anyone fall in love with her daughter if she lay asleep she thought. She died of heartbreak. The good fairy was saddened by the fact that Sleeping Beauty could sleep for years, awaken, only to find that she did not recognize anyone around her. Out of kindness to Sleeping Beauty, she put a spell on the whole kingdom. Everyone would sleep as Sleeping Beauty slept until she awoke.
In a nearby kingdom a handsome Prince rode his fine horse into Sleeping Beauty’s kingdom. He was unhappy because he had searched and searched for someone he could fall in love with and marry. As he got closer he saw the castle enveloped in twine and overgrown bushes and flowers.
Everywhere he could see people laying or bent over. At first he thought everyone to be dead, but as he got closer he could see they were asleep. He yelled out for them to wake up but they lay still.
As he went into the castle he was again surrounded by people sleeping. When he reached the room where Sleeping Beauty lay, he immediately was enchanted by her amazing beauty. He stood before her staring intently on her kind, peaceful face. He was overcome with emotion. He had found his true love. He took her hand and gently kissed it. Immediately Sleeping Beauty awoke. The Prince was so kind looking and handsome that Sleeping Beauty too felt deep love.
All of the kingdom awoke. In a few short days the castle was back to normal except for the celebration of the marriage of the Prince to Sleeping Beauty. It is said they married and lived happily ever after.
